003: Getting Started with AI. A Practical Guide for Business Owners

The practical business guide. Which tools, what they cost, what they'll do for your specific business, and how to get your team to actually use them.

You've heard the business case for AI. This guide makes it real.

Not inspiration. Not theory. Specific tools with real 2026 pricing, a worked ROI calculation you fill in yourself, three workflows you can implement this week, and a four-phase rollout plan your team will actually follow.

Written by Michelle Neuhold for business owners aged 35 to 60 who have been through at least one technology rollout that didn't go as planned. The ROI is real, but only if the implementation is right. The tools are powerful, but only if the people use them. Both of those are problems this guide solves.

WHAT'S INSIDE:

✦ The Business Case in Numbers
Verified 2026 research: 91% of small businesses using AI report measurable revenue growth. Employees save an average of 5.6 hours per week. At a 10-person team at $30/hr, that's $6,720 per month in recovered capacity against a $250 tool cost. The guide shows you how to calculate your own number before you spend a dollar.

✦ The ROI Calculator (You Fill This In)
A complete worked example with a real business owner, real numbers, and a blank version for your team. Know your payback period before you commit to anything.

✦ The Four Tools Every Business Needs First
Not categories. Specific tools with verified May 2026 pricing and direct links. Ranked by which delivers the fastest return for most small and mid-sized businesses.

✦ Three Workflows Ready to Implement This Week
The weekly report that writes itself. Research and competitive intelligence in 20 minutes. The proposal that no longer starts from a blank page. Step by step, with real business owner examples.

✦ The Four-Phase Rollout Plan
Phase by phase from month one through month six and beyond. With adoption targets, what to do in each phase, and how to know it's working.

✦ Change Management: When an Employee Won't Engage
The five most common forms of resistance, the real concern behind each one, and exactly how to address it. Includes the one thing that kills resistance faster than anything else.

✦ The Six Failure Modes That Kill AI Implementations
Most AI pilots fail for predictable reasons. None of them are inevitable. This chapter names each one and tells you precisely how to avoid it.

✦ The One-Page AI Governance Policy
What every small business needs to protect itself, its clients, and its data. Written once, communicated clearly, done.

✦ A Complete Implementation Checklist
Every action from ROI calculation to 90-day review, in order. Print it. Work through it.

WHO THIS IS FOR:

Business owners and leaders who are ready to move from curiosity to implementation. If you want to know exactly what to buy, what it will cost, how to deploy it, and how to get your team to use it, this guide is your plan.

FORMAT: Downloadable digital guide, instant delivery
PRICING: All tools verified May 2026. Always confirm current rates before subscribing.
UPDATES: Included. When this guide is updated, you receive the new version.

PART OF THE NEUVISION AI MASTERY SERIES

Guide 3 is the business owner's starting point. Your recommended next step is Guide 6: AI Tools for Business, which goes deeper on every tool with head-to-head comparisons, specialized tools for sales, marketing, and operations, and the full automation playbook.

NeuVsion@gmail.com | @NeuVsion
For business and personal use. Please do not redistribute or resell without permission.